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GRACE BAPTIST CHURCH of DANVILLE DANVILLE CONFERENCE — SEPTEMBER 4-6, 2009
June 28, 2009
Holiness is that which God purposed for us (Ephesians 1:4), that which God demands of us (1 Peter 1:15-16, that to which God has called us (1 Thessalonians 4:7), that which God has created in us (Ephesians 4:24), and that in which God will keep us by his grace (1 Thessalonians 3:13).
Come, Carry Me Away — Don Fortner (Tune: #252 — Only Trust Him — CMD — Without Refrain)
1. The sun of time is sinking fast; My race is almost run. All earthly woe will soon be past, And triumph soon begun! The God of Peace beneath my feet Shall crush the serpent’s head, When I with Christ in vict’ry sweet This robe of flesh have shed.
2. I must be near the blessed ranks Of those to God so dear. — I feel the mists of Jordan’s banks, — My crossing must be near! Yes, soon I must be going home, Where Christ, the Lamb, appears. He’ll send His angels; and they’ll come To take me where He is!
3. Oh, bear my longing soul to Him Who lived and died for me, Whose blood has put away my sin And Heaven won for me! Come angels, O sweet angels come, And carry me away To my immortal, heav’nly home; — Come, carry me away!
Heavenly Employment
“And I said unto him, Sir, thou knowest. And he said to me, These are they which came out of great tribulation, and have washed their robes, and made them white in the blood of the Lamb. Therefore are they before the throne of God, and serve him day and night in his temple: and he that sitteth on the throne shall dwell among them.” (Revelation 7:14-15)
What are God’s saints doing in heaven? What will be the employment of our souls in the eternal bliss of the inheritance awaiting us? The Scriptures speak sparingly with regard to these things. But some things are revealed.
God’s saints in heaven are celebrating and adoring the perfections of God in Christ (Revelation 5:11-12; 7:11-12). There they who behold His face speak with unceasing astonishment of His holiness, power, wisdom, goodness, grace, faithfulness and love.
God’s saints in heaven are delightfully employed in beholding the glory of God in the face of Christ (John 17:24). O my soul, what will it be to behold the glory of our Redeemer? We shall forever behold him as he is, with a constantly increasing knowledge of Him who loved us and gave Himself for us. Heaven is the Garden of God where the Rose of Sharon is in full bloom; and the fragrance of it perfumes the whole place. Heaven is to behold Christ forever, never taking our eyes off Him, and never wanting to.
God’s saints in heaven are employed in the constant exercise of every spiritual grace: Faith — The saints in heaven believe God. Hope — Our brethren patiently wait in hope of the resurrection. Love — They truly love one another.
God’s saints in heaven are employed in the unending worship of the Triune God (Revelation 7:14-15). They are engaged in prayer (Revelation 6:10). They sing the songs of grace to the praise of God. Electing, redeeming, regenerating, justifying, sanctifying, preserving grace is the constant theme of their song around the throne of God and the Lamb. God’s saints in heaven are engaged in constant, uninterrupted fellowship with one another and with the holy angels. A casual reading of the book of Revelation conveys the idea that God’s saints will forever discuss with one another and with the heavenly angels the wonders of covenant mercy, the ministry of the angelic hosts, redeeming love, saving grace and divine providence.
May God the Holy Spirit teach me, and you, to live in this world engaged in the same employment. May he give us grace, day by day, to employ ourselves in celebrating and adoring our God in all the perfections of His Being, beholding His glory in the face of our crucified Redeemer, walking with one another in faith, hope and love, worshipping our great God. How blessed our appointed days would be, were they spent in such a way!
Why are we still here?
“Nevertheless to abide in the flesh is more needful for you.”
(Philippians 1:24)
Why has our Savior left us here? He has already made us completely worthy of heavenly glory. Has he not? That is what the Spirit of God tells us in Colossians 1:12-14. So why has our Redeemer left us here? I have been pondering that question a good bit lately. I cannot answer it fully; but I have found an answer that satisfies me in Mark 5:18-20. There we read about the Lord Jesus healing the maniac of Gadara. When the poor man was made to know the Lord Jesus and His grace, he desired to be with Him; but the Master denied him that great joy for some time for a very noble and good reason.
What a wonderful change grace wrought in the Gadarene. He who, but a few minutes before, had been a terror to everyone, was made to be so heavenly composed that he desired never to leave his blessed Savior. Is that not the case with all who have been called from darkness to light, and from the power of sin and Satan to the living God? Surely, having once tasted that the Lord is gracious, we cannot but long to be “absent from the body, and present with the Lord.” Yet our Savior says, “No, not yet.” Rather, He tells us to go home to our lost friends, and speak forth the praises of Him who has called us out of darkness into His marvelous light.
Our Lord Jesus has left us here until God’s appointed time shall come to take us home to Glory. Our God and Savior must have His witnesses upon earth, as long as the earth remains. None of us shall live in this crumbling tabernacle of clay too long. Yet, we must remain until our appointed work is finished.
“Mortals are immortal here, Until their work is none.”
What mercy! What grace! What condescending goodness! Our God has put the treasure of His gospel in these earthen vessels, choosing to employ you and me to tell other eternity bound sinners what great things the Lord has done for us, and has had compassion on us! Let us wait in contentment, happiness and overflowing gratitude, telling out the good news of redeeming love and saving mercy all the days of our appointed time, until our change come. Having a desire to depart and be with Christ, for now, to abide in the flesh is more needful. When we are no longer needed here, we will be with him there, in that “house not made with hands, eternal in the heavens!”
Oh, eternity bound sinner, make certain that you are in Christ! Let every child of God take comfort with regard to those who have gone to heaven. — “Blessed are the dead which die in the Lord!” Be assured, weary pilgrim, that your weary, troublesome life will end soon, and that it will end well (2 Corinthians 4:17-5:2). When the Lord Jesus has finished with us here, He will bring us to Himself there, where we shall dwell in the light of the glory of the triune God forever. Until then, let us devote ourselves to making Him known here.
GRACE BULLETIN
June 28, 2009
GRACE BAPTIST CHURCH of DANVILLE 2734 Old Stanford Road-Danville, Kentucky 40422-9438 Telephone (859) 236-8235 - E-Mail don@donfortner.com
Donald S. Fortner, Pastor
Schedule of Regular Services
Sunday 10:00 A.M. Bible Classes 10:30 A.M. Morning Worship Service 6:30 P.M. Evening Worship Service
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